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The US firm has adopted a light touch approach since setting up shop in the Emirate in 2009. It currently has just one partner, Joe Tortorici, and two associates working in the office. Weil has now decided to vanish completely from the region as it will exit Dubai, its sole office in the Middle East, later this year. Tortorici will relocate to Europe, from where he will still work on Middle East matters, although it seems that much of the firm's strategy for the region will be buried in the sand.

"After all the cutbacks, this is what they meant by hot-desking"

Weil's planned departure follows the news last week that Herbert Smith Freehills and Clifford Chance are both scaling back in the Middle East by closing their offices in Qatar.